Driving skills

Ok...so I am to a point in my racing that I am consistent on the track at 2 thing. Keeping off the pipe(as long as I'm not driving crazy) and being 1-2 seconds behind the fast guys.

What I need help with is improving my driving skills...I know I have heard practice, practice, practice....and I get that. I am looking for some actual techniques that I can try out... All are welcome.

Ok...so I am to a point in my racing that I am consistent on the track at 2 thing. Keeping off the pipe(as long as I'm not driving crazy) and being 1-2 seconds behind the fast guys.

What I need help with is improving my driving skills...I know I have heard practice, practice, practice....and I get that. I am looking for some actual techniques that I can try out... All are welcome.

I am currently running stock SCT and buggy, and 4x4.

At a club I was involved with we started a regular "School of R/C" to help people get up to speed. The first session might be helpful for you - check it out here at launcestonrc.com.

1. If you're crashing you need to back off a little until you can drive the whole race without being marshalled, then gradually increase your speed. Speed will come with experience and track time.

2. Learn how to setup your car to your driving style. Read, experiment at the track, take notes, etc. Also have one of the fast guys take a couple laps with your car and give feedback. There may be something you're not aware of the car is doing wrong. Stock setups are usually going to get you in the ballpark, try it and tune from there.

3. Have realistic expectations. If you club race with Cavalieri then you will probably never be on top. Some guys are just wired differently and have natural ability and super fast reflexes.

What I do when I know I'm just as fast as a guy but they still have quicker times is watch them in practice. See what line they take and how they drive in general. Then if they're friendly guys, go talk to them, see what they're running and just get a general feel of what they are doing. I know some guys won't give away their secrets but try to get an idea of what they got going for them. Especially if youre running stock. Some guys have hundreds of dollars extra into their stock setups so if they are flat out 1-2 seconds faster than you, dont feel bad.

side note: me personally, I wouldnt run a 4x4 AND a 2wd stock buggy, the driving style leap is so drastic that you will suffer with both vehicles. Just my two cents about that, but then again, you can do whatever you want!

As for being a second or two slower... that's a tenth in 10 different spots, or .11 in 10 different spots. Things like that are almost imperceptible.

Or it could be one spot of the track where you are literally blowing a second at a time. Trying to run with the faster guy is the best way. If he consistently pulls away from you or is right on your ass the whole time, you are good everywhere, and just need to charge a little more into and out of corners. If you stay safely ahead or the same behind till one particular section, then you know you need to fix that one section.

For me, the lead and follow was the best way to sort out my lines. Ended up just being three sections of the track that got me the time I was looking for, and it was obvious where they were when i would run with the fast guy. Helps for them to be your friend and willing to let you chase or push you, though...

What are the average lap times for the track? 2 seconds off on a layout with 30+ second average lap time is a bit different than a +/- 13 second layout.

I ask because it gives people a better idea of how much improvement you're looking for/need.

Track times average around 25 for 4x4 and 26-27 for 1/10 buggy 28 for sct

Thanks for all the other help everyone. I'm thinking my issue is corners. actually I know its there. if I get out in front of the fast guys on qualifying I can see them catching up on me as I am driving.

Track times average around 25 for 4x4 and 26-27 for 1/10 buggy 28 for sct

Thanks for all the other help everyone. I'm thinking my issue is corners. actually I know its there. if I get out in front of the fast guys on qualifying I can see them catching up on me as I am driving.

Yeah, it takes practice to hold speed in the corners and to know the lines and the limits of the vehicle. I still struggle with it myself. I go wide somewhat frequently, and also push to hard and traction roll on other sections. If you haven't checked it out, think about trying VRC Pro. I have upped my skills just by turning laps at home. It helps with learning the flow, and improving your reaction time. The vehicle obviously won't handle exactly as your vehicle does on your home track, but it has helped me gain speed and to understand flow. The cool part about VRC is that in events you can watch replays of the fast guys, and see how they tackle certain sections of the track.

You will loose several seconds per lap if you go wide through every turn. Think about it...if you go wide in one turn, you are adding distance to your lap and adding time. If you watch the fast/ smooth guys, they never blow through a turn. They hug the pipe every time and don't add any distance to their race.

In the past, I've practiced in my driveway by layouting out a few corners with my garden hose and a my wifes potted plants. The layout is a simple u shape with about 15 inches clearance from the apex to the potted plant. Think of downhill ski racing...where they go around the gates, accept you're actually driving through those gates. It's really challenging. This will condition you to hold a tighter line through the turns at the track.

As for being a second or two slower... that's a tenth in 10 different spots, or .11 in 10 different spots. Things like that are almost imperceptible.

Or it could be one spot of the track where you are literally blowing a second at a time. Trying to run with the faster guy is the best way. If he consistently pulls away from you or is right on your ass the whole time, you are good everywhere, and just need to charge a little more into and out of corners. If you stay safely ahead or the same behind till one particular section, then you know you need to fix that one section.

For me, the lead and follow was the best way to sort out my lines. Ended up just being three sections of the track that got me the time I was looking for, and it was obvious where they were when i would run with the fast guy. Helps for them to be your friend and willing to let you chase or push you, though...

+1 best way to get faster is to practice with someone faster and let that person chase you with your own ride, HE can then tell you how your car is performing.

VRC is the best way in lieu of actual track time, but you have to treat it like a race, run qualifiers by yourself and keep at it until you get faster. Its easy to just drive around and get a hero lap followed by 10 laps with crashes, you want to work on getting your average lap down a few ths at a time.

At the track if you can have a fast guy watch you drive your car around the track and give you pointers it can be tremendously helpful. Many times just going slower/tighter through sections can net .5 second on a lap.

Another tip that helped me is to marshal sections that you struggle with. Being close to those sections of the track will help you see/hear exactly what the other drivers are doing in that section. I have learned a TON from mashalling.